Minnesota Lt. Gov. Tina Smith named to fill Franken seat

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton appointed Lt. Gov. Tina Smith on Wednesday to fill fellow Democrat Al Franken's Senate seat until a special election in November, setting up his longtime and trusted adviser for a potentially bruising 2018 special election.... Read More

Minnesota Senate appointment creates a mess back home

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- The elevation of Minnesota's Republican state Senate president to lieutenant governor as part of a chain reaction after U.S. Sen. Al Franken's resignation will likely lead to a legal fight over whether she can hold two jobs.... Read More

The Latest: Franken praises Smith; still no date to leave

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- The Latest on Gov. Mark Dayton's appointment of a replacement for Minnesota Sen. Al Franken (all times local):... Read More

PolyMet offers $544M in financial assurances for mine costs

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- PolyMet Mining Corp. is offering Minnesota a $544 million package of financial assurances to serve as an insurance policy to protect taxpayers from having to cover the costs of shutting down and cleaning up the copper-nickel mine it proposes to build in northeastern Minnesota.... Read More

Minnesota sees increase in snowy owl sightings

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Wildlife experts say they are treating more injured snowy owls than usual this year in Minnesota.... Read More

GOP's not all that sad; party grapples with Alabama fallout

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Weary national Republicans breathed a collective sigh of relief on Wednesday, a day after voters knocked out their own party's scandal-plagued candidate in deep-red Alabama. Yet all is not well in a party confronted with new rounds of infighting and a suddenly shrinking Senate majority heading into next year's midterm elections.... Read More

After big Senate loss, what's next for firebrand Roy Moore?

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Roy Moore has now lost more statewide races than he's won in Alabama, including a Senate contest that seemed within reach. So will the Republican former judge now abandon politics and ride off into the sunset?... Read More

Bombing underscores New York subway system's vulnerability

NEW YORK (AP) -- The crude pipe bomb that exploded beneath the streets of New York this week served as a chilling reminder of the vulnerability of the city's subway system, a 24-hour-a-day operation with 472 stations and more than 5 million daily riders.... Read More

Republican higher education bill clears first hurdle

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican legislation making its way through Congress goes after a number of key student loan subsidies and deductions, and critics say it could make college less affordable for millions of Americans.... Read More

Walmart gives workers a way to get paid earlier

NEW YORK (AP) -- Walmart is providing workers with an app aimed at helping them budget their money and get paid before payday.... Read More